ghostdiver1957
Contributor
DandyDon:I would not have the nerve to take gear I bought online to my LDS.
I'd ask my Instructor about helping me with it, and expect to pay him fairly for his time. May cost more than it would have to have bought the gear from the LDS, but only fair to both the LDS and Inst.
Do go to your LDS and buy a Safety Sausage, Storm Whistle, and maybe a Slate, tho.
LDS's shouldn't mind servicing your internet equipment... they simply charge you more for doing so (especially if you don't have a manufacturers warranty.) I have bought countless items on the internet and my LDS has no problem servicing them. I do pay about $10 more per reg since I don't have the warranty cards for a few things, but that's OK...
First and foremost, don't feel bad about lying to your LDS... they constantly lie to you. Don't tell them where you bought it. If they're persistent then they're probably not a good place to do business. If you have no other local choice, I suggest telling them you bought it from a family member or friend who could no longer dive due to medical reasons. That usually shuts them up. If they still give you crap, kindly remind them that you understand if you have to pay a little more for service since you didn't buy it from them... and this should make them happy. Let them charge you $10 or $15 bucks more than they charge everybody else... it will still take 10 - 20 years before you lose the money you saved buying on-line. If that doesn't work... walk out and don't go back... they're just being "you know whats."
